Aluminum aspirin granulation and method for making



United States Patent ALUMENUM ASPIRZN GRANULATION AND METHOD FOR MAKING Clarence J. Endicott, Waukegan, Thomas A. Prickett,

Waukegan Township, Lake County, and Albert A. Dallavis, Waukegan, Ill., assignors to Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois No Drawing. Application April 29, 1954 Serial No. 426,582

2 Claims. (Cl. 167-82) This invention relates to an improved granulation, a new granulating agent and the method for preparing a new and improved granulation.

In the pharmaceutical and food industries it is a Wellknown fact that very few crystalline or powdered materials can be compressed into suitable tablets on automatic tableting equipment in their crystalline or powdered form. The practice has developed of first preparing a granulation of the material because it is known that the grain-like structure thus formed is suitable for compression into tablets. The process of preparing a granulation according to the well-known methods consists of moistening the dry powder, with or without the addition of an adhesive substance until the whole is converted into a crumbly mass. The mass is then forced through a screen in order to reduce the material to a grain-like structure of small granules. The most commonly used moistening agent is, of course, water although solvents are well known for this purpose. It is also common practice to add a substance such as gelatin, starch and acacia in order to assist in granulating the material.

Many highly useful materials are very difiicult to granulate because they are unstable in the presence of water. The granulation which has been moistened with water also requires a considerable amount of time in order to dry it to a point suitable for further processing. Although many materials such as resins, zein, and similar substances can be used as granulating agents with volatile solvents, most of them have the disadvantage of being water insoluble, off colored, or chemically active and are not considered wholly satisfactory to the art.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a new and novel method of forming a granulation which will be free from the defects of the prior art methods.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and novel granulating agent which is soluble in water and in most organic solvents and which is chemically inert.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel granulation which dries quickly to a hard material.

In the accomplishment of the foregoing objects and in accordance with the practice of the present invention it has now been found that very desirable granulations may be made from the usual ingredients by the addition thereto of a relatively small but significant amount of polyvinylpyrrolidone as the granulating agent. This chemical has a well established background of low toxicity in the pharmaceutical field and it is readily aavilable in the form of a slightly off-white solid and also in the form of solutions. Polyvinylpyrrolidone is a synthetic watersoluble polymer described in U. S. Patent No. 2,265,450.

' representative multiple vitamin preparation that was.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone is substituted for other granulating agents such as starch and acacia in the usual granulating procedure. Since it is water soluble it can be used in any of the more commonly known granulations and be cause of its solubility in solvents, it is also highly desirable for use in the preparation of granulations which must be made free from contact with water. Many important medicinal substances and foods are highly hygroscopic and these materials can now be very satisfactorily formed into a granulation by the use of a water-free solvent solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone as the granulating agent.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone has some of the properties of a surface active agent so that it aids in the disintegration of a granule or of a compressed tablet made from a granulation containing polyvinylpyrrolidone. In fact all or part of the commonly used disintegrator can be replaced with polyvinylpyrrolidone, which is used in smaller amounts than ordinary disintegrators. It is chemically inert so that it can be used without danger in the presence of vulnerable medicaments such as vitamins and minerals.

The use of polyvinylpyrrolidone as a granulating agent is readily adaptable to the tablet-making function and it provides hard granules which can be compressed into hard tablets with standard equipment. For example, certain of the vitamins tend to form soft granulations and soft tablets when made up in the ordinary way. These soft tablets are subject to high incidence of breakage and to abrasion during the coating process. The same materials granulated with polyvinylpyrrolidone as the grannlating agent form hard granules and hard tablets which are subject to much less breakage during coating. Again, the granulation made with polyvinylpyrrolidone is easier to dry because the amount of water or solvent employed is smaller. Finally, the tablet made by compressing a granulation prepared with polyvinylpyrrolidone can be of smaller size because very dilute aqueous or solvent solutions of polyvinylpyrrolidoneare suitable. By comparison, it has been necessary to use much more concentrated solutions of starch and acacia, and larger amounts-of diluents and disintegrators have formerly been required. The smaller size of the tablet made from a polyvinylpyrrolidone granulation is a highly significant factor in the tablet industry. For example in one representative product containing mg. of activity and-made up with starch as the granulating agent, 10 tablets weighed 33 grains. When polyvinylpyrrolidone was used it was possible to reduce the size of the tablet until 10 tablets weighed only 20.37 grains-a reduction of about 37%.

The amount of polyvinylpyrrolidone that is used in the preparation of a granulation in accordance with the practice of this invention may be varied widely to suit the individual situation. Amounts as little as 0.5% of poly vinylpyrrolidone based on the weight of the other dry ingredients of the granulation will give a product having the desirable qualities previously indicated. Because of the inert and non-toxic nature of polyvinylpyrrolidone there is no danger in using larger amounts and the upper limit is governed only by economics and by the size of the tablet made from the granulation. For example, in one notorious for its soft and weak structure, the new prepara- Paten ted Jan. 21, 1958 done based on the dry weight of the other ingredients of the granulation resulted in hard granules which made up into a hard and strong tablet in the usual tableting operation.

In another representative vitamin formula which was notorious for the softness of the tablet and for high incidence of breakage, polyvinylpyrrolidone wassubstituted for othergranulating agents an'dthe preparation which tion containing about 4%. by weight..of.polyvinylpyrroli.

contained about 1.5% by-.weight.-of2polyvinylpyrrolidone:

based :on the dry weight of the; other. ingredients gave a hard granulewhich made up. into a hard tablettandsigni-s ficantlylowered the breakage. And-still. another rep-. resentative -multiple ,vitamin preparation: about- 6% by weight of polyvinylpyrrolidone"was employed based onthe weight. of the other dry ingredientsin making upthe granulatioin- In every instance they substitutionof polyvinylpyrrolidone as the granulating .agent---greatly improved the. physical: properties of the I granulation and of the tablets .made' therefrom and reduced the. disintegration 2 time of the tablet and the size thereof. 7

As. previously noted the polyvinylpyrrolidone ;may .be added inwthe form of either aqueous-or solvent solution.- Alternatively dry 'polyvinylpyrrolidone may be added to other ingredients vwhichnare .moist from' water or solvent:-

in the-making up of 'a .granulationt r; Also,'-polyvinyl-' pyrrolidone.:may -be addednin dry formzto a partially dry but. hygroscopicmaterialof; the .type represented,.-f or example, -by. a dried liverextract... Still another .-meth-.- 1

0d involvesadding: dry polyvinylpyrrolidonesto othendry 1 ingredientsl..'and..wetting down: the mixture with Water or solvent. .Whilethetheory is :not fully. understood .it is thought that polyvinylpyrrolidone derives enoughgwater-i or solvent. from. the other-ingredients .to. render .it effective as a granulating agent; V

The following examples... will. serve: to. illustratemthe. invention in .greatendetail but it .will-be understood that; the examplesare notintended in any way-,as' a limitaw I tion. on the invention;

Example r The following dry ingredients 1 are thoroughly :blenrled and wetlwith'water, massed;.screenedeanddriedr:;

.45 Lbi--. Cyclohexylsulfamicj acid..;.. 1.0' Polyvinylpyrrolidone I. 0.02 i r Then 0.23 lb'." of calcium. carbonate. .is .blended .in :and

the mixture is compressed. The tablets. .thus-..prepared were found to be'much lharde'rland strohgerthantablets .r made" in a similar 'manner but .withoutLpolyvinylpyrrolh. done;

Eiizmple =ll' A granulationsuitableforuse in makin'gfa large" quantity of tablets is preparedaccording to thefollowingdirem.

tions: *1.

I I Lbs'z'i Erythromycln .stearate.

135?." Sodinin citrate anhydrous 81.; Polyvinylpyrrolidone ..3.15 Alcohol.3A

Dissolve the polyvinylpyrrolidoner in .1118: :alcoholi; andzi: add ivith. mixing to-the .dry. blend; of :erythromycirt stearate and Sodium..citrate anhydrous. l Aftermassing; force; rthes massed -material ithrough; a;- 4-mesh-5screenand 1111'}! four;

24 hoursat 1203 1 .-v The.hard..-.dry-.granules have-a totali: weightgof 220.1bs. a'ndthey gontain. approximately 21.43% 1 by weightgof 'polyvinylpyrrolidone.

Suitable. lubricants maybe blended :with zthelgrannlation. and tltlenable'ts may becompressed therefrom.

4' Example .111.

A granulation suitable for further working up into tablets is prepared according to the following directions.

Lbs. Erythromycin stearate 131-. Sulfadiazine sodium 125.82 Sulfamerazine sodium 2125.28 Sulfamethazine 115.63 Aluminum hydroxide U. S. P. ge1 (dry) 142.19 Polyvinylpyrrolidone 4.39 Alcohol 3A anyhdrous 140.40

The erythromycin stearate; .lthe"three 'sulfas and the aluminum hydroxide gel are charged into a mixer and thoroughlyl mixedp with' theradditi'o'n:ofi thei polyvinylpyrrolidonein alcohol wuntil' the mixture is massed; The

mass isthen'passed-into '-a-rotarygranulator-"andnthe; granulation is' 'dried "at "about-' FfThis granulation" contains about-10.68 by Weight; of. polyvinylpyrrolidone. Lubricants are blended withthegr-anulation and hard tablets are compressed therefrom.

Example IV A granulatiomwasuprepareda according. to theufollowe ing' dlI'BCtIOIISiS 1 Ox-bile (dried andspurifie'djri 9.96 Dehydrocholicv' d- Magnesiumifl 0.46 Polyvinylpyrrolidonesz;

AICOhOIf-SA-I' Acetone 10.: Talc r 0.68 Stearic d 0.4

Charge' the "ox bile'fdehydrocholiefacid and magnesium oxideinto a mass'mjxerandaddthe polyvinylpfirolidorie solution to the mix. 1 "Granulate throughfa' flt'i rn'eshscfreen Grind to 12-mesh'and blend in 'the talc and stearic acid. "Co'ni andv dry at' 120 'F. to'less than2% moisture.

press into tablets. 1

Example V Another interesting use:of-polyvinylpyrrolidone is -i densifying a light, flufiy powder mixture which' adapte for encapsulatingw A suitable granulation isrmadewup according to the following directionsz Lb'sk" Aluminum asp 14.64"" Acetophenetidin" Caffeine alcohol 1.53 Methapyrilene Hl- -l 1.72 5 Talc 0.25 Alcohol 3A- V 6.50 Polyvinylpyrrolidone-"t 0.32

is notoriously dif icult to; handle; because of its extreme light. and .fiufiy-nature; :Byt -grannlating :ibwith-polyvinyl:

pyrrolidone; the material; is: densified and 'doesinotireturnrr to its flufiytstate uponidryingv -ltis;thereforei muclr-more suitable :for encapsulatingm The use; of polyvinylpyrrolidone;in granuiations tis .alSOfr: disclosed: in 2a woo-pending; application-'1 Lof- :Endicott and: JonesySeriaP No. 389,477; filedOctober::.30,.-;1953; and;

a co-pending application of Endicott and Dallavis, Serial Lbsq No. 392,035, filed November 13, 1953, the latter now abandoned.

Others may practice the invention in any of the numerous ways which will be suggested to one skilled in the art. All such practice is considered to be covered by this invention provided it falls within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A dense granular product suitable for encapsulating which comprises, normally light and fiufiy aluminum 10 aspirin powder and about 2% by weight of polyvinylpyrrolidone, based on the weight of aspirin.

2. The method of making a dense granular product suitable for encapsulating which comprises wetting norabout 2% by weight of polyvinylpyrrolidoue dissolved in alcohol, and drying said mixture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Drug Trade News, vol. 28, No. 14, July 6, 1953, pp. 43 and 64.

PVP-Gen. An. and Film Corp., Mar. 1951, N. Y.,

mally light and fluffy aluminum aspirin powder with 15 p. 47. 

1. A DENSE GRANULAR PRODUCT SUITABLE FOR ENCAPSULATING WHICH COMPRISES, NORMALLY LIGHT AND FLUFFY ALUMINUM ASPIRIN POWDER AND ABOUT 2% BY WEIGHT OF POLYVINYLPYRROLIDONE, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF ASPIRIN. 